Welsh Gov Launches Life Sciences Hub In Wales
The Life Sciences Hub Wales has been set up by the Welsh government as a national and international center for the Life Sciences and Healthcare sectors in Wales.
The new Hub will be located in Cardiff Bay and will serve as a focal point for academic, clinical, business, and professional services, as well as funding organizations in life sciences. The facility will be launched with the support of the £100 million Life Sciences Investment Fund to help emerging projects and open new jobs in the sector.
Professor Chris McGuigan, Chair of Life Sciences Hub Wales, said, “The Life Sciences Hub will provide a central focus for the sector within a stone's throw of the Welsh Government. With access to top-level advice and funding this will become the true Dragons' Den, a Welsh Dragon's Den, supporting Life Sciences innovation and cutting edge research in Wales.” Wales is the home of big life science companies such as GE as well as hundreds of small and medium life science firms.
The Hub has recently appointed Dr. Ian Barwick from the University College Dublin as its Chief Operating Officer. Minister Hart stated, “I should like to welcome Dr Ian Barwick as the new Chief Operating Officer of the Life Sciences Hub Wales… We want to ensure Wales has one of the best environments in the world for Life Sciences innovation and the Hub is central to our long-term strategy to grow the sector to deliver at least £1 billion of extra value by 2022.”
The Welsh government announced earlier that it is allocating up to £500,000 to encourage competition in R&D projects intended to accelerate progress in regenerative drugs and cell therapies.